Device For The Detection Of Metallic Surgical Articles And Harmonic And RFID Tagging Markers

• US 20160166173A9
• Filed: 11/16/2013
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Integrated Medical Technologies Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Integrated Medical Technologies Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Smith, William B., Slavik, Nelson S., Linse, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US14/082,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20150141806A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/366 using projection of images directly onto the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/32 operating autonomously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/10 Parts, details or accessories surgical drape sheets A61B46/00

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of detection of metallic items and/or metallic surgical instruments or articles by a detection device in the event that such articles have been retained in a patient after a surgical procedure. More specifically, the invention relates to a detection system that uses (1) a metal detector or (2) a detector for harmonic-generating amorphous or non-amorphous metallic tags together with three-dimensional spatial position measurement to determine if a foreign metallic article has been retained in the body and if so, to determine the article'"'"'s location. The invention scans the patient pre- and post-operatively, evaluating three-dimensional differences in electronic response to account for other nearby metallic objects not related to the retained metallic article, thereby determining by inference whether the post-operative electronic response results from presence of a retained article.

Claims

1. An improvement to detection systems used to discover retained foreign metallic objects in surgery, comprising

a) A metal detector, and

b) A system to perform accurate measurement of the spatial position of the metal detector as it is used to scan over the surgical patient before and after surgery, and

c) Means for recording the position and metal detection data for the scans made before and after surgery, and

d) Means for combining the recorded metal detection data to compute the difference between the detection data taken after surgery and the data taken before surgery, and

e) Means for display of results of the computations of (d) as an image projected onto the scanned area of the patient to display areas where presence of a retained foreign metallic body is suspected as a result of the detection scans of (b).

f) Means for display of results of the computations of (d) as an image of the detection map upon a printer or graphic display panel.

2. The improved detection system of claim 1 in which the system to perform accurate measurement of the spatial position of the metal detector is a robotic positioner having automated path control of the robotic positioner and computer-measurable position sensors included as a part of the robotic positioner.

3. The improved detection system of claim 1 in which the metal detector is hand-held and the system to perform accurate measurement of the spatial position of the metal detector is a system such as video position measurement, ultrasonic position measurement, laser position measurement, or inertial navigation position sensing measurement system, or a combination of spatial position measurement systems in use to measure position and orientation of the metal detector during scanning.

4. The improved detection system of claim 1 in which the robotic positioning system is attached to the operating table.

5. The improved detection system of claim 1 in which the robotic positioning system is not attached to the operating table.

6. The improved detection system of claim 1 in which the image projected onto the scanned area of the patient to display areas where presence of a retained foreign metallic body is suspected as a result of the detection scans is simple illumination of the suspect area.

7. The improved detection system of claim 1 in which the image projected onto the scanned area of the patient to display areas where presence of a retained foreign metallic body is suspected as a result of the detection scans is a graph showing magnitude of the metal detection data.

8. An improvement to detection systems used to discover retained foreign objects in surgery using harmonic-generating tags, comprising

a) A detector for amorphous-metal harmonic-generating tags, and

b) A system to perform accurate measurement of the spatial position of the metal detector as it is used to scan over the surgical patient after surgery, and

c) Means for recording the position and metal detection data for the scan after surgery, and

d) Means for computing location of apparent tag detection from recorded detection data taken after surgery, and

e) Means for display of results of the computations of (d) as an image projected onto the scanned area of the patient to display areas where presence of a retained foreign metallic body is suspected as a result of the detection scans of (b).

f) Means for display of results of the computations of (d) as an image of the detection map upon a printer or graphic display panel.

9. The improved detection system of claim 8 in which the system to perform accurate measurement of the spatial position of the tag detector is a robotic positioner having automated path control of the robotic positioner and computer-measurable position sensors included as a part of the robotic positioner.

10. The improved detection system of claim 8 in which the metal detector is hand-held and the system to perform accurate measurement of the spatial position of the metal detector is a system such as video position measurement, ultrasonic position measurement, laser position measurement, or inertial navigation position sensing measurement system, or a combination of spatial position measurement systems in use to measure position and orientation of the metal detector during scanning.

11. The improved detection system of claim 8 in which the robotic positioning system is attached to the operating table.

12. The improved detection system of claim 8 in which the robotic positioning system is not attached to the operating table.

13. The improved detection system of claim 8 in which the image projected onto the scanned area of the patient to display areas where presence of a retained foreign tagged body is suspected as a result of the detection scan is simple illumination of the suspect area.

14. The improved detection system of claim 8 in which the image projected onto the scanned area of the patient to display areas where presence of a retained foreign tagged body is suspected as a result of the detection scan is a graph showing magnitude of the metal detection data.

15. The improved detection system of claim 8 in which the detection tag is an amorphous-metal harmonic-generating tag.

16. The improved detection system of claim 8 in which the detection tag is a crystalline-metal harmonic-generating tag.